Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

अवाप्य काशीं दुष्प्रापां को जहाति सचेतनः । रत्नं करस्थमुत्सृज्य कः काचं संजिघृक्षति

Transliteration

avāpya kāśīṃ duṣprāpāṃ ko jahāti sacetanaḥ | ratnaṃ karasthamutsṛjya kaḥ kācaṃ saṃjighṛkṣati

Translation

Wer das schwer zu erlangende Kāśī erreicht hat, welcher Verständige würde es verlassen? Wer, ein Juwel schon in der Hand wegwerfend, wollte nach bloßem Glas greifen?

Word by Word

• अवाप्य: having obtained
• अवाप्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-āp (धातु) → अवाप्य (क्त्वा/ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: आप् (to obtain) उपसर्ग: अव; ‘having obtained’

• काशीम्: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• काशीम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• दुष्प्रापाम्: hard to obtain
• दुष्प्रापाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्-प्राप (धातु) → दुष्प्राप (कृदन्त/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (काशीम्)

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• जहाति: abandons
• जहाति: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सचेतनः: a sensible (conscious) person
• सचेतनः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-चेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कः); समास: स + चेतन (one who is conscious)

• रत्नम्: a jewel
• रत्नम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• करस्थम्: held in the hand
• करस्थम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (रत्नम्); समास: करस्य स्थम् (located in the hand)

• उत्सृज्य: having thrown away
• उत्सृज्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ut-sṛj (धातु) → उत्सृज्य (क्त्वा/ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: सृज् (to release/abandon) उपसर्ग: उत्; ‘having cast away’

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• काचम्: glass
• काचम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• संजिघृक्षति: wishes to grasp
• संजिघृक्षति: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-ग्रह् (धातु) → जिघृक्ष (इच्छार्थक-देशिदेरिवेटिव)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; देशिदेरिवेटिव/इच्छार्थक: ‘to wish to seize’; उपसर्ग: सम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśī-khaṇḍa norm: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-seeking audience within the frame dialogue (commonly sages/Śaunaka-group in Purāṇic settings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands at the Gaṅgā-ghāṭa of Kāśī holding a radiant jewel in his palm while a dull shard of glass lies discarded; behind him rise temple spires and the glow of Viśveśvara’s presence.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is a supreme spiritual opportunity; abandoning it for lesser goals is portrayed as choosing glass over a jewel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is directly praised as duṣprāpā—rarely attained and of incomparable worth.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the implied counsel is to remain devoted to Kāśī and not forsake its spiritual path.